So what if Sharapova doesn't know Tendulkar? - An open letter to the Indian sports fan

Dear friends, Indians, countrymen,

This letter is addressed to the approximately 50,000 Indians who vandalized Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova’s Facebook wall, after her comment at a press conference in Wimbledon, where she stated she did not know who Sachin Tendulkar was. The contents of the letter also go out to the many who started the "Who is Sharapova?" hashtag on Twitter in response to the tennis player failing to recognize the nation’s Bharat Ratna.

I will not go into details of whether she should have known Tendulkar or not, considering cricket is not even amongst the top 15 sports in Russia. That topic has been much spoken about and debated. Instead, today dear Indians, I would like to draw your attention to the happenings in your own country. I would like to point out to you that sports doesn't just mean cricket, and that there are thousands of sportspersons trying their best day in and day out, wishing to do the nation proud, only hoping for a little support from you in turn.

When India won the cricket World Cup in 2011 the whole nation, literally, came to a standstill. Over-the-top celebrations were carried out, the team was accorded crores worth of prize money and talks about how they had raised the Indian flag all over the world started doing the rounds, not realizing that the sport is played in only a few select countries.

I have nothing against cricket; in fact, I am a huge cricket buff. But was the unnecessary showering of money required on people who have no lack of funds and find themselves in the list of Forbes’ richest sportspeople? Wasn't it better to give maybe even 1% of that money instead to the archers or hockey players, shooters or wrestlers, who find themselves in a constant battle between the frustration of poverty and the desire to win?

There are many in India who fight against infrastructure, or rather the lack of it, just to hear the national anthem at the Olympics or the Asian games. After winning against all odds and reaching the top, they suddenly realise that their hard work isn't even appreciated!

Deepika Kumari won her third World Cup medal in as many tournaments. Jitu Rai won a gold and silver in the shooting World Cup last week, making him the first Indian to win two medals at the event. And recently, Saina Nehwal managed to put a string of bad performances behind her to clinch the Australian Open Super Series.

Add to that the many victories achieved by the boxers and the tennis stars, the kabaddi team and the squash players like Dipika Pallikal,  and the list of the achievements by Indians becomes an enviable list.

But what do they get for their talent in turn? Are they celebrated in the news for days on end? No! They might perhaps find a mention in one corner of the paper, lost between Stuart Binny's bowling performance against a lacklustre Bangladesh team or the over-enthusiastic day-to-day build-up of the India vs England series.

It saddens me to know that a Heena Sidhu's gold medal is not celebrated enough. At the same time, great news is made when they fail to perform or match up to their international counterparts. Sudden interest was aroused in the national game after the Indian hockey team failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympics for the first time. What the fans don't realise though is that if they are not backed enough to achieve their dreams, one day they will lose the motivation to succeed; knowing that no matter what they do, India will not rejoice.

So dear Indians, next time the athletes fail to perform at the highest level, don't blame them. There wasn't a lack of effort on their part. They overcame the payment issues and the poor facilities to perform as best as they could but maybe if you supported and backed them a little bit, things could have been much different.

Yuvraj Singh was diagnosed with cancer and the BCCI took all possible steps to get him healthy and back into the side. So why should the other players be left behind? Why should Baljit Singh, India's hockey goalkeeper who was injured in his eye leading to the end of his career, have to appeal to this day for help? Doesn't the state of the blind cricket team asking for funds despite winning the 2012 World Cup move you? And lastly, if the cricketers are given pension, why are the other players left to fend for themselves once their illustrious careers are over?

Dear Indians, if Sharapova doesn't recognise a Sachin, does it reduce his legacy in any way? Are you yourself able to name, let alone recognise, the captain of India’s football team?

The world surely won't end if one tennis player, so caught up in her own assignments, fails to recognize an Indian. But the world might surely end for the hundreds who give it their all to hear ‘Jana Gana Mana’, only to ultimately come to the bitter realization that fame will always elude them.

Sincerely,

A sports lover from India.